Foldable table or stool.



L. SMIEJKOWSKI. FQLDABLE TABLE OR EITOOL. APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1909.

937,479. Patented Oct. 19, 1909.

Witnuoeo Louis kOLU'SkL L. SMIEJKOWSKI.

FOLDABLE TABLE OR $TO0L.

APPLIGATION FILED MAYB, 1909.

Patented Oct. 19,1909.

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llATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS SMIEJ KOVT SKI, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOL'IDABLE TABLE OR STOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1909.

Application filed May 8, 1909. Serial No. 494,735.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS SMIEJKOWSKI,

parts 10l1 having ears 12 at the sides a citizen of th Unit d Stat r idig at through which clamp bolts 13 are passed. Chicago, in th co nty of Cok, St t of The members 1011 are hollow and formed Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Foldable Tables orStools; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in foldable stools, tables, andlike structures, and has for one of its objects to improve theconstruction and increase the efficiency and utility of devices of thischaracter.

The improved device comprises in general a hollow head member having twointernal annular cavities and with laterally extending recesses in theupper and lower portions to receive the inner terminals of a pluralityof supporting arms, one set of the arms extending upwardly to supportthe table top or seat portion of the structure and the other series ofarms extending downwardly to form supports for the structure, and withlooking members within the cavities of the head and with which the innerterminals of the arms engage when in distended positions.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction ashereafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in theclaims.

The improved device may be employed by making slight immaterialmodifications therein for supporting a table top, a stool or chair seat,or like structure, but for the purpose of illustration the device isshown in the drawings arranged to support a table top, and in thedrawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved device in its distended oropen position. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the device in closedposition and the table or stand top removed. Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthe improved devicewith the table top detached. Fig. 4 is a section onthe line 44 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the upper lockingmember detached. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the lower lockingmember detached. Fig. 7 is a plan view, enlar ed of the annular couplingmember, detac ed.

In the improved device is comprised a with an upper relatively largeinternal annular recess 14 and a relatively small internal annularrecess 15, and for the purpose of this description the relatively largerecess 14 will be referred to as the upper recess and the smaller recesswill be referred to as the lower recess. The members 10-11 are annularin their general construction and with the upper portion overhanging therecess 14 and thereby forming an inwardly curved flange, and formed inthis flange portion are a plurality of recesses 16 having ofisets attheir outer ends. The lower portion of the members 10-11 overhang thelower recess 15 whereby an annular flange is formed around the centrallower opening,

' and formed in this latter flange portion are a plurality of radialrecesses 17.

Mounted for rotation within the larger upper recess 14 is an annularmember 18 with reduced portions or sockets at intervals corresponding tothe lateral recesses 16 whereby a plurality of bearings 19 are formed,as shown.

Mounted for rotation within the smaller lower recess 15, is an annularmember 20 having a plurality of recesses whereby bearings 21 are formed,the bearings corresponding to the recesses 17 Any required number of therecesses 15 or 17 may be employed, but generally four of the recesses 16and three of the recesses 17 will be used as shown.

The recesses 16 and the bearings 19 are utilized to support a pluralityof supporting arms 22 for the table top 23, while the recesses 17 andthe bearings 21 will be utilized to support a plurality of supportingleg members 24, as shown.

The lower terminals of the arms 22 are curved as shown at 25, andadapted to be 7 minals of the curved portions 26 of the members 24 withthe inner terminals of the curved portions 25 of the members 22, withinthe channel 29 and thus hold them locked in their distended positions.By this arrangement so long as the plug is in position within themembers 1011 the supporting members 2224 will be maintained rigidly intheir distended position, but by elevating the plug 28 the members 22may be moved inwardly and the members 24 moved inwardly and likewiseelevated into the position as shown in Fig. 2, and thus dispose thestool in its folded position. Thelower face of the plug 28 is concavedas shown, and bears by the concaved surface upon the inner ends of thecurved portions 26 of the members 24:, and thus assist in holding themin distended position.

The improved device is simple in construction, can be inexpensivelymanufactured and wholly of metal, and adapted without materialstructural changes for tables, stools, stands, or the like. The improveddevice will be found especially convenient for use where folding tablesor stools are required.

The members 2224 will be formed from metal rods preferably steel, butmay be of brass or other metal, and may be highly polished, plated, orjapanned, or otherwise coated as required, while the head member forrotation in each of said sockets a plurality of supporting armsoperating through one series of said recesses and engaging one of saidannular members, a plurality of supporting arms operating through theother series of said recesses and engaging the other annular member, anda locking plug operating through said head.

i 2. A device of the class described comprising a head member formedwith upper and lower internal annular sockets and with radially arrangedrecesses communicating with the sockets, an annular member mounted forrotation in each of said sockets, a plurality of supporting armsoperating through one series of said recesses and engaging one of saidannular members, a plurality of supporting arms operating through theother series of said recesses and engaging the other annular member, anda locking plug operating through said head and provided with an annularchannel to receive the inner terminals of one set of said supportingarms and to bear at one end upon the other set of supporting arms.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

LOUIS SMIEJKOVSKI.

lVitnesses JOSEPH M. Rosmsm, FRANKYP. S'rAWIcKI.

